The largest public transit agency in western Massachusetts has received a big boost in its bid to go all-electric.
The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority has been awarded $54 million by the Federal Transit Authority – with a 20 percent state match for a total of $67 million – to purchase additional electric buses and install charging infrastructure.
Congressman Richard Neal, the Democrat who represents the state’s First District, announced the funding Tuesday outside the PVTA’s operations and maintenance center on Cottage Street in Springfield.
“This is a big deal,” Neal said.
He stressed the source of the money is the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was one of the most significant accomplishments of this Congress.
“This was the most important piece of legislation to come from a legislative body to address climate change in the world,” Neal said.
If Massachusetts is going to meet goals set in state climate law to sharply lower greenhouse gas emissions by the end of this decade, large reductions must come from the transportation sector.
“Electrifying these buses is a big-big achievement and it came about because of President Biden’s infrastructure bill,” Neal said.
With this money, the PVTA will purchase four new electric-powered buses – bringing the total number it will have to 16, which is roughly 12.5 percent of its 129-bus fleet. In addition, 20 high-speed charging stations will be installed at the Springfield garage to provide the capacity to add more electric buses, said PVTA Administrator Sandra Sheehan.
“Our goal is to electrify the fleet,” she said.
Sheehan called this “phase-one” of the PVTA’s goal to reduce the number of diesel engine buses on the streets.
“We want to reduce our carbon footprint and improve the air quality in the Pioneer Valley,” Sheehan said. “Because we have such a large fleet of diesel buses, we feel we should do our part.”
Also present for the funding announcement was Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno who said the PVTA’s “green initiative” is in line with his administration’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan.
A portion of the funds will be used to train PVTA employees on the maintenance of electric vehicles, according to Sheehan.
And some of the money is also being spent to upgrade the bus garage the PVTA operates at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
